The Outcasts, also referred to as the Nation of Malta (Nazione Maltese or Nación Maltesa), are an unlawful faction operating from the remote edge worlds of Sirius. Having access to their own shipyards and resources, the Outcasts have since spread their piracy, drug empire and influence all across Sirius.

Outcast controlled territories border the systems of Omicron Theta, Tau-37 and Sigma-19. Several bases are in operation in systems distant from their core worlds, sometimes connected only through hostile territory, such as Cali Base in Tau-23. The Outcasts are currently involved in a long standing, large scale war with the Corsairs over the domination of the Omicron edge worlds.

History

The crippled sleeper ship Hispania arrived in Omicron Alpha almost 800 years ago. Its passengers named the planet Malta -- a harsh place of acidic oceans, gray skies, and vast plains covered in a species of tall, thin, orange grass. They later learned that the grass could be rendered into a narcotic substance, that they called Cardamine.

Eventually the Outcasts -- as they came to think of themselves -- began limited exploration of their system. As pilots wandered farther and farther afield in search of resources, many became seriously ill. Upon planetfall, the crews mysteriously recovered.

Doctors were baffled. By chance, they made a genetic scan of a critically ill pilot and made a startling discovery. His genetic codes had been altered. Outcast DNA contained strands identical to that of the orange grasses that covered the planet -- from which Cardamine was derived. Trace amounts were present in everything on the planet, from the air they breathed to the water they drank. Once pilots made lengthier journeys away from Malta, their bodies went into shock, followed by death.

The Outcasts were now truly separated from the rest of humanity -- changed so that they could never expand beyond the planet on which they had landed. They needed the Cardamine now, like air or food or water. But with the origin of the sickness solved, they could at least compensate by carrying supplies of Cardamine with them and resume their exploration of their surrounding systems.

When they encountered the rest of the Houses in the seventh century, a new strategy emerged. The Outcasts would deliver the poison that would rot the other Houses from the inside out and grow rich from the profits of their trade.

Today the Outcasts conduct a lucrative drug-smuggling operation using the network of Jump Holes to escape detection and transport their product into the heart of the House systems. The Outcasts remain relatively few in number; a crash in the birth rate seems to have been another side effect of their genetic modification.

A new development has been Cryer’s continued efforts to create a synthetic version of Cardamine that would be approved as a legal medication within Liberty. This poses a direct threat to the Outcasts' source of income. The Atka Research Station, with nearby access to Edge Nebula clouds, is the most immediate threat to the Outcasts. The location of the base within Corsair territory has brought the Outcasts into conflict with their ancient brethren.

Territorial claims

Maltesian Navy units can be found more or less all across Sirius, with the notable exception of Rheinland and the Omega systems. Their bloody war with the Corsairs spans across several systems, where the majority of the war is being fought. The Outcasts are also engaged in a conflict against the IMG in Tau-23 and Tau-37 as well as the encroaching GMG in Sigma-19 and Omicron Beta. But most important was their war with the GRN & KNF for the Tau area. They are part of an alliance against the Gallic Kingdom; together with Bretonia and other minor states that are also the Maltesians' enemies like the Crayter Republic. The were also involved in the Kusari Civil War on Imperial and/or Dragoon sides.

Government and politics

The Plutocracy Era

Malta itself has no official government or political bodies or leaders, and no economic regulation or a set of written laws as a result. Its society is ruled by an anarchic plutocracy of Dons, where each Don is in control of his own portion of land and his family, hired guns and any slaves he may have bought.

The only real semblance of a government are the periodic meetings of the most powerful Dons of Malta, universally referred to as the Council of Dons. This Council is in control of the general diplomacy of Malta towards other willing factions in Sirius, as well as setting production and military goals for the only unified structure within the Outcast nation: the Maltese Navy.

Since 823 AS the Council of Dons is replaced by The National Council of Malta. This was a huge step for the Maltesian society to a stabile, respected state with little part of a real democratic state.

Economy

The economy of Malta is an uncontrolled and unregulated free market, largely in part due to a long history of an official governmental body. It revolves almost entirely around the production of the euphoria inducing drug Cardamine, and it's spread across Sirius. Each of the plantation controlling Dons is responsible for the propagation of his own produce, frequently leading to rivalries between families should they become too competitive with each other.

Aside from the export of drugs, Malta also relies on a steady inflow of slaves (mostly from Liberty) and general military and material supplies, using primarily the Junkers to smuggle these goods through territory otherwise hostile to them, then take their Cardamine back to the houses. Most of the light arms and alloys used in the construction of Outcast ships are provided to them via their allies, while MOX smuggled from Bretonia serves as a source of fuel. Other supplies are frequently obtained via both smuggling and piracy operations, which extend from the Tau and Sigma border worlds all the way to Kusari and Liberty.

Crime and dissent

The Outcasts are known for watching out for each other, and harshly punish those that would attack them, including their own. Normally a direct assault on another Outcast ship, even by other Outcasts, is punished by death, exile - or worse. While many governments and organisations outlaw or look down upon the Outcast use of their "orange gas", many others are addicted to it and have come rely on it, making them into fierce allies of the Outcasts. Any assault, act of piracy or other actions against Cardamine and supply smugglers working for the Outcasts is treated with harsh justice, normally death.

Ships

The Outcasts are known for their extensive usage of the Border Worlds Ship line. In addition to that, there is a line of ships produced specifically by them:

Diplomacy

The Maltese nation has gone out of it's way in recent years to establish friendly relations with as many of the organised unlawful groups as possible, mostly using their drug profits or distribution of arms as leverage for creating alliances. It is especially known for it's cooperation with the Liberty Rogues, Lane Hackers and Golden Chrysanthemums in smuggling of Cardamine into Liberty and Kusari.

Their long standing war against their former Corsair brethren as well as the many alliances formed sparked off several other factions to become increasingly hostile to Outcast presence, with the most significant opposition encountered in Kusari with factions such as the Hogosha and the Farmers Alliance bent on pushing out the Outcast influence out of their territories. The Gaians in Bretonia are also considered hostile.

The Coalition once sabotaged the Hispania and is therefore desperately hated by the Maltese. The war with the Coalition is as ideological and emotional as the one with the Corsairs.

The Maltesian Navy cooperates with Bretonia Armed Forces since the Tau-War strated against the royal Gallics but stays out of Bretonian systems except for active battle support or repair services. However, in addition to the Navy, many smugglers and pirates without council orders are working on the trade routes of Bretonia. These are suspected and shot down by the BAF and the BPA as terrorists. The National Council of Malta does not respect or protect these guys. Maltesian Navy pilot are ordered to stop them because of the well relationship to the kingdom.

The Maltese claim most of the Tau systems for themselves, and this is followed by a bitter war between them and the IMG and the Crayter Republic, which is led to greater severity.

There was once a military alliance between the Maltese and the Hessians, which, however, resulted in war after the nomadic war. Subsequently, a non-aggression putt was decided, which states that one does not penetrate into the other's teritorium. Therefore, all outcasts from the Omegas and Rhineland should keep away. Exceptions apply only to the drug transport, but even they are normally not flown by Outcasts themselves, because mostly Junkers run that illegal trade from the Sigmas to the federal republic.

The Gallic Republic (Council) and its allies have an unfriendly realtionship to the Outcast, but they often work together when attack royal Navy targets in the Taus.

The largest market for Cardamine is Liberty. In order not to obstruct this smuggling, the Maltesian Navy only opperate in small scale in Liberty. The Maltesian Government does not tolerate any Outcast Capital Ship in the Republic's lawn.

Still keeping their old relation ships, the Outcasts hold true to their old deals and their old allies, the Outcasts are one of the top smuggling ring leaders and one of the more stronger pirate force in Sirius, next to that of the Corsairs; and they use this force to help their allies and themselves.